English · Phrasal verb Attested

hem up

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To restrain (a person) by grabbing their collar.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hạn chế ai đó bằng cách抓 cổ áo

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Taking him home she hemmed him up soon as they stepped in the door. Now Tony was a bad dude in the streets but when it came to his mama, he was a punk. A few cuss words on her part had him spilling everything.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To arrest or lock up.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bắt giữ hoặc giam giữ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “hem up” mean?

To restrain (a person) by grabbing their collar.

Is “hem up” formal or informal?

hem up is generally informal.

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